High-intensity LED lights in vehicles are in common use because LED lights are reliable, cost-effective and they produce a greater light output using less power than conventional single or dual-filament incandescent lights. Additionally, LED lights require less space and have a longer useful life when compared to incandescent lights.
The prior art LED light bulbs operate in combination with a flasher unit which causes the lights to turn ON and OFF whenever the right or left turn signal arm or the emergency flasher button is depressed. The flasher unit is constructed using a set of contacts similar to a conventional relay with one exception. One of the relay support arms is made of a bimetallic material similar to the contacts in a home thermostat. The two metals that comprise the bimetallic material have different temperature coefficient characteristics. Thus, when the contacts are heated or cooled they expand or contract at different rates.
The flasher unit installed in a vehicle becomes operational when the current for the filament type lights flows through a heater coil mounted against the contacts in the flasher unit. When the turn signal is turned ON the heater coil heats the contacts causing one of the metal contacts to heat, which in turn causes it to bend. This action either OPENS or CLOSES the relay contacts of the flasher unit. Once the contacts OPEN current stops flowing to the lights and they turn OFF. The bimetallic metal cools and it bends back to its original shape closing the contacts in the flasher unit and the cycle repeats. This action makes the turn signal lights and the emergency light blink ON and OFF.
The flasher unit is designed so that the current from two or more lights is necessary to make it work. One light does not draw enough current to heat the metal enough to make it bend. The same problem arises when you try to substitute a low power LED light in place of a conventional filament light. They do not draw enough current to activate the flasher unit.
The instant invention eliminates this problem by allowing for the direct substitution of an LED light bulb for a conventional one or two filament light, while still enabling the flasher unit to function normally. This is accomplished by emulating the current drawn by a conventional filament light. To do this a circuit is placed in parallel across the LED light bulb which then causes the light bulb to draw additional current making the flasher unit function normally.
A search of prior art patents and industry literature did not disclose any products that read on the claims of the instant invention.